Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksandr Polishchuk was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi on Monday following the death of an Indian sailor in a strike on a ship in the Black Sea. He was seen leaving Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan after the meeting.

The deadly attack took place on 18 July when the commercial vessel MV OMORFI was struck in the Black Sea. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India identified the deceased sailor as Chief Officer Sagar Gupta.

The Ministry of External Affairs conveyed its serious concern over the incident and condemned such attacks on commercial shipping in the strongest terms. It underscored the adverse impact of such actions on maritime safety, freedom of navigation, and international commerce.

The Ambassador was requested to convey India’s strong concerns to the Ukrainian authorities. The Ministry reiterated that targeting commercial vessels and endangering the lives of innocent civilian seafarers is unacceptable and must be avoided.

Earlier in the day, the Embassy of Ukraine in India announced that Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had extended condolences to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar over the loss of Indian seafarers amid the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea.

In a press statement, the Embassy confirmed that Sybiha had written a letter of condolence to Jaishankar. It expressed profound sympathy to the families of the Indian seafarers who lost their lives due to the worsening situation in the region.

The statement also noted anticipation for a call between Sybiha and Jaishankar to discuss the security situation in the Black Sea. It said, “We hope that, following the relevant proposal made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, a conversation between the foreign ministers of our two countries will take place in the near future to discuss in detail the current security situation in the Black Sea region.”

The developments come amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine. On Sunday, a merchant vessel carrying four Indian nationals was struck at the port of Odesa. Two of them were confirmed safe, while information was awaited regarding the other two.

On 19 July, four Indian nationals were killed in an attack on the vessel MV Golden Leo during its departure from Odesa, while one remains critically injured.

With the security situation in the Black Sea and adjoining maritime areas remaining highly volatile due to the ongoing conflict, the Indian government has advised nationals intending to undertake employment on commercial vessels in the region to carefully assess prevailing risks before accepting assignments.

In a detailed advisory, the Ministry of External Affairs stressed that employment terms must comply with applicable international maritime standards. It urged Indian nationals requiring consular assistance to contact the Embassy of India or Consulates in the region without delay.

ANI